Bobby Robson
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE
(18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team
during his career.
His professional playing career as an inside-forward spanned nearly 20 years, during which he played for three clubs: Fulham
, West Bromwich Albion
, and, briefly, Vancouver
. He also made 20 appearances for England, scoring four goals.
After his playing career he found success as both a club and international manager, winning league championships in both the Netherlands
and Portugal
, earning trophies in England and Spain, and taking England to the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup
. His last management role was as a mentor to the manager of the Irish national football team
.
Robson was created a Knight Bachelor
in 2002, was inducted as a member of the English Football Hall of Fame
in 2003, and was the honorary president of Ipswich Town
. From 1991 onwards he suffered recurrent medical problems with cancer, and in March 2008, put his name and efforts into the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
, a cancer research charity. In August 2008, his lung cancer was confirmed to be terminal; he said: "My condition is described as static and has not altered since my last bout of chemotherapy
...I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go sometime and I have enjoyed every minute". He died just under a year later.
, County Durham, Robson was the fourth of five sons of Philip and Lilian Robson (née Watt). When he was a few months old, Robson's family moved to the nearby village of Langley Park
where his father was a coal miner. As a boy, he was often taken by his father to watch Newcastle United
at St James' Park
, requiring a bus ride or a walk of several miles. Robson describes Jackie Milburn
and Len Shackleton
as his childhood heroes. Both played for Newcastle in the inside-forward position, the position Robson would later assume during his playing career.
Robson attended Waterhouses Secondary Modern School but the headmaster did not allow the school football team to join a league. Instead, he began to play for Langley Park Juniors on Saturday mornings at the age of eleven, and by the time he was 15, he was representing the club at Under-18 level. Robson played football whenever he possibly could but also worked as an electrician's apprentice for the National Coal Board
in the Langley Park colliery. In May 1950, Bill Dodgin
, the Fulham
manager made a personal visit to the Robson household to offer Bobby a professional contract. Despite being offered a contract by nearby Middlesbrough
, the offer made by Dodgin was too attractive to turn down, so he signed for Fulham and moved to London, playing as a wing-half and inside-forward. Robson had also interested his beloved Newcastle, but he opted to join Fulham as, in his opinion, "Newcastle made no appreciable effort to secure [my] signature".
site and trained three nights a week at Fulham
. Eventually this took its toll on Robson and he gave up his trade for full-time football.
Robson made his debut in 1950 for Fulham, recently promoted to the First Division
, in a match against Sheffield Wednesday
. He came to regard Fulham as "a nice club, a social club..." but "never...a serious, championship-challenging club". Indeed, he and Fulham were relegated from the top-flight in the 1951–52
season, but he made his return to the First Division
, four years later, when he signed for Vic Buckingham
's West Bromwich Albion
in March 1956. The transfer fee of £25,000 was a club record for Albion at the time.
He made his Albion debut in a 4–0 home defeat by Manchester City
on 10 March 1956. In 1957–58
he was the club's top league goalscorer; his tally of 24 goals included four in a 5–1 win against Burnley
. He went on to play 257 games and score 61 goals for West Bromwich Albion and captained the team for the 1960–61
and 1961–62
seasons. In August 1962, however, he returned to Fulham after a disagreement with Albion vice-chairman Jim Gaunt over his salary. The on-going dispute over both minimum and maximum wages in the game, instigated by Robson's team-mate Jimmy Hill
and the Professional Footballers' Association
, combined with the birth of Robson's second son, prompted Robson to demand a higher salary. Gaunt refused to negotiate Robson's contract, so Robson placed a transfer request and was sold to Fulham for £20,000 in a deal which doubled his salary. Soon after Robson joined Fulham, the club sold Alan Mullery
and Rodney Marsh
, meaning Robson's chances of securing any significant honour there were substantially reduced. Robson himself stated "In all my time as a footballer, I didn't win a thing."
Despite press reports of interest from Arsenal
, and the offer of a player-manager role by Southend United
, Robson left Fulham in 1967 and accepted a three-year deal with Canada's Vancouver Royals
. He was to be player-manager in their inaugural 1968 season in the North American Soccer League
and believed it "...was a chance too good to miss". The position proved difficult; a long-distance joint-ownership agreement gave the Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskás
control over the San Francisco section of the squad, while Robson took care of the Vancouver squad. Robson was dissatisfied by this situation and when, in January 1968, Fulham offered him a contract as their manager, he accepted the position at Craven Cottage
.
in 1955 and South Africa in 1956. However, it was during his time at West Bromwich Albion
that he graduated to the full England squad, with his first call-up in 1956. His manager, Vic Buckingham, advocated the "push and run
" approach to the game, a precursor to "total football
", and playing this, Robson graduated to the full England
squad in 1956, It was also at West Bromwich Albion that Robson met future England international and assistant coach Don Howe.
He went on to make 20 appearances for the England national team
, making his debut in a November 1957 victory against France
, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory. Although he made a successful debut, he was dropped for England's next game against Scotland
, in favour of Bobby Charlton
. He was, however, selected for the 1958 World Cup
squad, ahead of Nat Lofthouse
and Stanley Matthews
but returned from Sweden disappointed, as England were defeated by the Soviet Union
in a group play-off match.
Following the 1958 World Cup
, Robson became an established member of the England squad, enjoying considerable success in a period between October 1960 and March 1961 when he played in six England victories, including scoring a goal in the record 9–3 defeat of Scotland at Wembley Stadium. He was selected for the 1962 World Cup finals
in Chile but an injury to his ankle sustained in a pre-tournament friendly against a Chilean club side ruled him out of most of the tournament. As Robson recalled, "I never played for England again...my international career was unfulfilled".
|1950–51
|rowspan="6"|Fulham
|rowspan="2"|First Division
|1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||1||0
|-
|1951–52
|16||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||16||3
|-
|1952–53
|rowspan="4"|Second Division
|35||19||1||0||colspan="2"|–||36||19
|-
|1953–54
|33||13||1||1||colspan="2"|–||34||14
|-
|1954–55
|42||23||1||0||colspan="2"|–||43||23
|-
|1955–56
|25||10||2||0||colspan="2"|–||27||10
|-
|1955–56
|rowspan="7"|West Bromwich Albion
|rowspan="12"|First Division
|10||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||10||1
|-
|1956–57
|39||12||2||1||colspan="2"|–||41||13
|-
|1957–58
|41||24||7||3||colspan="2"|–||48||27
|-
|1958–59
|29||4||1||1||colspan="2"|–||30||5
|-
|1959–60
|41||6||3||0||colspan="2"|–||44||6
|-
|1960–61
|40||5||1||0||colspan="2"|–||41||5
|-
|1961–62
|39||4||4||0||colspan="2"|–||43||4
|-
|1962–63
|rowspan="5"|Fulham
|34||1||2||1||2||0||38||2
|-
|1963–64
|39||1||2||0||1||0||42||1
|-
|1964–65
|42||1||2||0||3||1||47||2
|-
|1965–66
|36||6||colspan="2"|–||3||0||39||6
|-
|1966–67
|41||0||3||0||3||0||47||0
|-
|-
|1967
|rowspan="2"|Vancouver Royals
|rowspan="2"|North American Soccer League
|colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–
|-
|1968
|colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–
|-
583||133||32||7||12||1||627||141
583||133||32||7||12||1||627||141
|-
|1957||1||2
|-
|1958||4||0
|-
|1959||0||0
|-
|1960||6||0
|-
|1961||8||2
|-
|1962||1||0
|-
!Total||20||4
|}
director of coaching Walter Winterbottom suggested to Robson that he take a coaching course at Lilleshall
. Robson made his debut as a manager in January 1968 at his former club Fulham, against Macclesfield Town, then in the Cheshire League, in the third round of the FA Cup. Fulham were struggling with 16 points from 24 games. Despite the acquisition of the young Malcolm Macdonald
, Robson could not save the club from relegation to the Second Division
, and he left them in November, with the club sitting eighth in the Second Division. He discovered that he had been sacked, not from the club itself, but from the headline "Robson sacked" on an Evening Standard
placard outside Putney station.
He moved on to Ipswich Town
in 1969 and it was there that he established his reputation as a successful manager. He won the vacant job at the Suffolk club after a chance encounter with Town director Murray Sangster while scouting at Portman Road
for Chelsea
manager Dave Sexton
. After four mediocre seasons, Robson led Ipswich to fourth place in the First Division
and success in the Texaco Cup
in the 1972–73
season. In the following nine seasons, Ipswich finished lower than sixth place in the First Division only once, in the 1977–78
season. However, that season was a success with a 1–0 victory over Arsenal
in the FA Cup Final. His reign at Ipswich lasted 13 years, during which time the club twice finished as League runners-up, and made regular appearances in European competitions, capturing the UEFA Cup
in 1981 with a 5–4 aggregate
victory over Dutch side AZ 67 Alkmaar. During his thirteen year tenure, he brought in only 14 players from other clubs, relying instead on players developed through Ipswich's youth programmes.
In 2002, in recognition of his achievements with the club, a life-size statue of Robson was unveiled opposite the Cobbold Stand of Ipswich Town's ground Portman Road. On 7 July 2006, Robson was named as honorary president of Ipswich Town Football Club, the first since Lady Blanche Cobbold who had died in 1987.
, he succeeded Ron Greenwood as coach of the English national football team, selecting former West Bromwich Albion team-mate Don Howe as his chief coach.
Robson's first game in charge saw immediate controversy, as he dropped Kevin Keegan
for the match against Denmark
. On 21 September 1983, Robson suffered his only loss in the 28 qualifying matches he was to undertake as England manager. The defeat, once again to Denmark, ultimately led to England's failure to qualify for the 1984 European Championships, and resulted in Robson offering to resign in favour of Brian Clough
. The resignation was rejected by the FA chairman, Bert Millichip
(primarily down to his and the FA's disdain for Clough), and Robson went on to lead the England team to qualify for the 1986 World Cup
in Mexico.
England began the competition poorly and captain Bryan Robson
was injured with a recurrence of a dislocated shoulder. Bobby Robson changed the team's tactics for the final match of the first round, selecting Peter Beardsley
ahead of Mark Hateley
as a striking partner for Gary Lineker
. The team won its next two matches, against Poland
and Paraguay
, 3–0 and qualified for the quarter-finals. England were defeated in the last eight by Argentina
with a brace of goals from Diego Maradona
; the infamous "Hand of God" goal, and the "Goal of the Century" he scored five minutes later. Robson was unimpressed by Maradona's claim of divine intervention:
Robson's England dropped only one point in qualifying for Euro 1988 which included an 8–0 defeat of Turkey
. However this was followed by failure at the tournament itself, held in West Germany
, where England were knocked out in the group stage. They finished bottom of their qualifying group, succumbing to defeats against Ireland
, Holland and the USSR
. Robson was vilified by the British press, and after a draw in a friendly with Saudi Arabia
, one newspaper demanded: "In the name of Allah, go". Once again Robson submitted his resignation, and once again it was rejected by Millichip (again Brian Clough
is often cited as a reason).
Robson led England without conceding a goal through the six-match qualification for the 1990 World Cup where they were one of six seeded teams. Once again they were placed in a group with Holland and Ireland, with Egypt the fourth side. As in the 1986 World Cup, Robson was denied the service of his captain, Bryan Robson
, who suffered an achilles tendon
injury which prevented him playing in the latter stages of the tournament. England topped their qualifying group, accumulating four points from their three games. However their progress was not without controversy. England changed formation from their traditional 4–4–2 to incorporate a sweeper, with some sources suggesting this was due to player revolt after the 1–1 draw in the first match with the Republic of Ireland. Robson denies this claim: This was followed by victories over Belgium and Cameroon
in the knock-out stages, to set up a semi-final with West Germany
. England lost the match on a penalty shoot-out
, after the score had been tied at 1–1 following extra time. Robson said afterwards that "not a day goes by when [he] does not think about the semi-final and other choices [he] might have made".
to coach PSV of Eindhoven, who sought a manager capable of instilling discipline into a fractious squad. Robson described the move as "a culture shock" but felt "...a sense of adventure." The Dutch penchant for tactical debate surprised Robson. In an interview with Voetbal International he lamented: "An English pro accepts the manager's decision. After every match here, the substitutes come and visit me." Another of his challenges at PSV was handling the Brazilian international
Romário
. Robson became frustrated with the Brazilian's work ethic, although admitted "...in some matches he would be scintillating." Robson arranged showdown talks with Romário, with Frank Arnesen
, Robson's assistant, acting as a translator. The talks proved unsuccessful, with Romário unwilling to change his lifestyle. Despite this, PSV won the Dutch league in both the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. However, the team did not make the progress expected by the board in European competitions and Robson was informed that he would be leaving the club at the end of the 1991–92 season.
Robson moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal in July 1992, where his Portuguese interpreter was a young José Mourinho
, future Porto, Chelsea
, Internazionale
and Real Madrid C.F.
manager. Robson guided the club to a third place finish in his first season in charge while admitting the club was in "...a terrible state". He described the club's president as a "loose cannon", who frequently signed players without Robson's consent. Robson was sacked in December 1993 with the club sitting at the top of the league table. The club President, Sousa Cintra, cited the club's early exit from the UEFA Cup
at the hands of Casino Salzburg as the reason for his dismissal.
Sporting's rivals, F.C. Porto, quickly hired Robson, with Mourinho appointed as his assistant manager. Living in the same apartment block at the time was another future Porto and Chelsea
manager, the young André Villas-Boas, who, aged 16, introduced himself to Robson. Robson subsequently appointed Villas-Boas to work in the Porto observation department and helped him gain his UEFA 'C' coaching badge in Scotland, despite him technically being ineligible as he was aged 17. Porto were in a poor state when Robson arrived and the average attendance had dwindled to 10,000. The club promptly went on to beat Robson's former club, Sporting, in the Portuguese Cup final, following that achievement with successive League
titles in the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.
Such was the impact of Robson at Porto, he became known to the locals as "Bobby Five-O" in honour of the number of matches Porto won 5–0, and he signed a new contract with the club in 1995. Suffering from malignant melanoma
and missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season, Robson still successfully led Porto in defence of their league title.
A phone call during the summer of 1996 from Barcelona
's vice-president Joan Gaspart
to discuss Luís Figo
resulted in an offer of employment with the Spanish club. Robson took over in July 1996, where once again his assistant was Mourinho; Robson had made Mourinho's move with him to the Camp Nou
a condition of his employment. One of the key decisions Robson made during his brief tenure at Barcelona was the US$19.5 million signing of Ronaldo, who was influential in a season when Barcelona won the Spanish Cup
, Spanish Super Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup. Robson himself was voted European Manager of the Year for 1996–97, while Ronaldo stated, "as a trainer without doubt [Robson] is one of the greatest in the world".
The 1997–98 season saw Robson moved "upstairs" to the position of General Manager by Barcelona, with Louis van Gaal
taking over the managerial reins, but he stayed in this position for only one season before returning to manage PSV on a short-term deal for the 1998–99
season. PSV missed out on the league title, finishing third behind Feyenoord
and Willem II
, but Robson still led the club to qualification for the Champions League
on the last day of the season.
at Newcastle United, Robson moved to St James' Park
in September 1999. Robson was disappointed with the club's opening salary offer, stating "...it was miles below the going rate", but negotiated a one year, £1 million deal.
In his first home match in charge, Newcastle (at the bottom of the league) faced second bottom Sheffield Wednesday
, thrashing them 8–0. In his first season in charge, 1999–2000
, Robson led the club to an 11th place finish, with 14 wins from his 32 games in charge. In late 2000, following the resignation of Kevin Keegan
as England manager, the Football Association
asked Newcastle Chairman Freddy Shepherd
to permit Robson to take over in a part-time caretaker
capacity but the request was refused. Robson guided Newcastle from bottom of the Premier League to a fourth-place finish in the 2001–02
season. The following season, Newcastle finished third, ensuring qualification for the Champions League
for the second consecutive year.
Despite the qualification of third place however, Robson was unable to guide Newcastle through the Champions League qualifying rounds and the club was pushed back into the UEFA Cup for the 2003–04 season. At the end of the 2003–04 season, Newcastle United finished fifth in the table, five points short of the Champions League qualifying fourth place but reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup before losing to Marseille
.
He held the Newcastle post until 30 August 2004, when he was dismissed by Freddy Shepherd, after a poor start to the Premier League season and alleged discontent in the dressing room. Robson's dismissal followed publication of his off the record observation of his disappointment that only 5,000 fans stayed to see the traditional lap of honour made by the players at St James' Park at the end of the previous season. However, he remains held in the highest esteem by the fans; he was granted the Freedom of the City
of Newcastle upon Tyne on 2 March 2005.
His autobiography, entitled Bobby Robson: Farewell but not Goodbye was released in 2005.
The title is based on one of his quotes upon leaving the England job in 1990: "I'm here to say goodbye—maybe not goodbye but farewell". In the book, Robson was critical of Shepherd, claiming that while manager he was denied information regarding the players' contracts and transfer negotiations. He also criticised Shepherd and the club's deputy chairman Douglas Hall, for their focus on the first team and St James' Park, causing them to neglect less glamorous issues, such as the training ground, youth development and talent scouts. The club's training ground was later blamed by Graeme Souness
, Robson's successor, for a series of injuries to first team players.
because he wanted to stay in the Newcastle area. On 13 January 2006, Steve Staunton
was appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland national team
, with Robson named in a support role as International Football Consultant. Robson stepped down from his role of consultant on 17 November 2007, after the Republic's final match in their unsuccessful qualifying campaign for Euro 2008. Robson was a former Vice President of the League Managers Association
, a non-executive role.
Since 1991, Robson was repeatedly diagnosed as suffering from cancer. He had several operations and, in 2006, was operated on for on a brain tumour. This, on occasion, impacted on his work; while at Porto for example, Robson suffered from malignant melanoma, which resulted in him missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season. Following the brain surgery, Sky Sports News
reported that Robson had had an adverse reaction that had caused slight swelling of the brain, which had in turn caused the loss of feeling in his left side.
On 17 October 2006, it was revealed that Robson had been given the all-clear and was set to see out his contract as consultant to the Irish team. Robson revealed on 6 May 2007 that he had been diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time. On Saturday 17 May 2008, Sir Bobby was the guest of honour at the FA Cup Final
at Wembley Stadium
when Portsmouth beat Cardiff City 1–0. He presented the trophy to the victorious captain, Sol Campbell
.
. He also acted as a pundit for ITV
during the 2002 World Cup
and the 2004 European Championship. In 2004, following the death of Brian Clough
, Robson briefly stood in for Clough as a columnist at FourFourTwo
magazine, and from 2004 onwards wrote a weekly column for The Mail on Sunday
.
in February 2007, and as of December 2008 was being controlled through bouts of chemotherapy
. After these experiences, and following his fifth diagnosis with cancer, Robson devoted the remaining years of his life to helping fight the disease. On 25 March 2008 he launched the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
. By November 2008 the Foundation had raised £1 million. The money raised by the Foundation funded equipment for the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, in the Freeman Hospital
in Newcastle upon Tyne, and would go on to fund other cancer projects in the North East of England.
In aid of the Foundation, Robson's 1990 World Cup
semi-final 4–3 loss after penalties against West Germany
, was replayed on 26 July 2009 as the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match
at St James' Park, featuring players from the original 1990 World Cup squads
and other special guests. Robson was given a guard of honour before the game, which finished 3–2 to the England side.
At the time of his death, the Foundation had raised £1.6m. Donations totalling £156,000 were received by the Foundation in the 18 days following his death, and on 15 October 2009, it was announced that the Foundation had raised over £2m, and that at the request of Robson's family, Alan Shearer
would take over Robson's role as the Foundation's patron. It passed the £2.5m mark in September 2010. Three other patrons were added in 2010, Steve Gibson, Mick Mills
and Niall Quinn
.
called him a "great friend, a wonderful individual and tremendous football man." UEFA president Michel Platini
said: "He will be remembered not only for his playing career and his outstanding managerial career at both club and international level, but also because he was a truly warm and passionate human being." Gary Lineker
said: "It is a sad day and a great loss. He was a wonderful man and will be deeply missed by everybody in the country. I never played for a more enthusiastic man. He gave so much to the game." Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair
, described Sir Bobby as a "real Geordie gentleman." According to the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown
, Robson "epitomised everything that is great about football in this country." His friend, the broadcaster Michael Parkinson
, said: "Robson will be remembered long after the present lot are old bones. By his decency, his humour, his love of the game's traditions and origins and confusion at what it had become, he made present day football look what it is – shabby by comparison. I can think of no more fitting epitaph."
Robson's funeral, a private family ceremony, took place on 5 August 2009. The location remained undisclosed at the request of his family until the funeral had taken place. It was later revealed to be Esh, County Durham
. A thanksgiving service for Robson was held on 21 September 2009 at Durham Cathedral
. One thousand invited guests attended the service, which was also broadcast live on national television, and to Newcastle United's St James' Park
, Ipswich Town's Portman Road
ground, and Fulham's Craven Cottage
.
and in 2002, he was knighted
; both awards were for services to football.
In 2002 (during his time as Newcastle manager), the 69-year-old Robson was awarded the freedom
of Newcastle upon Tyne
and the UEFA
President's Award for 'services to football'. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
in 2003 in recognition of his impact as a manager. Following his time as Newcastle United manager in 2005, Robson was made an Honorary Freeman of Newcastle, which, in his autobiography, he described as being "the proudest moment of my life". Robson also won the 1992 Football Writers' Association Tribute Award for an outstanding contribution to the national game, and the 2001 British Sports Writers' Association Pat Besford Trophy for Outstanding Achievement. In 2005 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Sports Coach UK Awards, and was also awarded the Eircom International Personality of the Year in 2006. On 9 December 2007, Robson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award
at the BBC
's Sports Personality of the Year
show in recognition of "his contribution as both player and manager in a career spanning more than half a century".
On 5 May 2008, during the 30th anniversary celebrations of Ipswich Town
's 1978 FA Cup win, Robson was granted the Freedom of Ipswich
by the Lady Mayor. On 8 December 2008, he earned another such accolade when he was given the Freedom of the City of Durham
. In March 2009, UEFA
awarded Robson the Emerald UEFA Order of Merit award, awarded to "individuals who have dedicated their talents to the good of the game". The award was presented to Sir Bobby at St James' Park
on 26 July 2009, prior to the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match
, and just five days before his death.
, for the "gentlemanly qualities he showed throughout his career as a player and coach".
The Football League
gave Newcastle United and Ipswich Town special dispensation to wear special commemorative kits for their Championship
match on 26 September 2009 at Portman Road, in aid of Sir Bobby's Foundation. At half-time during this match, the North Stand of Portman Road was renamed the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
The first anniversary of Robson's death on 31 July 2010 was marked with a ceremony and pre-season friendly match at Newcastle's St James' Park
, between two of his former clubs Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven, involving Robson's PSV captain Stan Valckx
presenting a PSV shirt to the club.
In July 2010 plans were unveiled for a memorial garden to Robson to be built in Newcastle. It was to be created by the city council in partnership with the regeneration company NE1Ltd, and located on Gallowgate street close to the Newcastle United stadium St James' Park
. Work began on the site in November 2010, with an expected completion of Spring 2011. The garden is to cover 400 square meters, and feature a tiered seating area and sculpted stone plinths reflecting aspects of his life and work. The area is also to host a 400 square metre memorial garden to Sir Bobby Robson, with work beginning in November 2010, to be opened in Spring 2011.
With a keen interest in cricket as well as football, Robson was to have replaced Mike Gatting
as President of the Lord's Taverners
charity and cricket club in 2007, but this was prevented by his ill-health. After his death, the club held a dinner in his honour, as the "The best President we never had".
In March 2011, the East Coast train operating company
named
one of its Class 91
electric locomotives Sir Bobby Robson, unveiled at Newcastle Central Station
by his widow Elsie and Alan Shearer
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
during his career.
His professional playing career as an inside-forward spanned nearly 20 years, during which he played for three clubs: Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, and, briefly, Vancouver
Vancouver Royals
Vancouver Royal Canadians were an association football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada that played in the United Soccer Association. The league was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The Vancouver club was actually Sunderland A.F.C...
. He also made 20 appearances for England, scoring four goals.
After his playing career he found success as both a club and international manager, winning league championships in both the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, earning trophies in England and Spain, and taking England to the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. His last management role was as a mentor to the manager of the Irish national football team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
.
Robson was created a Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 2002, was inducted as a member of the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2003, and was the honorary president of Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
. From 1991 onwards he suffered recurrent medical problems with cancer, and in March 2008, put his name and efforts into the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a British cancer research charity which raises money to fund the early detection and treatment of cancer, and clinical trials of anti-cancer drugs...
, a cancer research charity. In August 2008, his lung cancer was confirmed to be terminal; he said: "My condition is described as static and has not altered since my last bout of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
...I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go sometime and I have enjoyed every minute". He died just under a year later.
Early life
Born in SacristonSacriston
Sacriston is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England, situated north of the city of Durham.Although the area has been populated since the Bronze Age, the first recorded settlement dated back to the 13th century to Sacristan's Heugh. According to old maps it was once known as...
, County Durham, Robson was the fourth of five sons of Philip and Lilian Robson (née Watt). When he was a few months old, Robson's family moved to the nearby village of Langley Park
Langley Park, County Durham
Langley Park is a village in County Durham, England. The historic city of Durham lies to the east whilst the larger city of Newcastle upon Tyne is to the north....
where his father was a coal miner. As a boy, he was often taken by his father to watch Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
, requiring a bus ride or a walk of several miles. Robson describes Jackie Milburn
Jackie Milburn
John Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
and Len Shackleton
Len Shackleton
Leonard Francis Shackleton, was an English footballer of the post-World War II period. Known as the Clown Prince of Football, he is generally regarded as one of English football's finest ever entertainers....
as his childhood heroes. Both played for Newcastle in the inside-forward position, the position Robson would later assume during his playing career.
Robson attended Waterhouses Secondary Modern School but the headmaster did not allow the school football team to join a league. Instead, he began to play for Langley Park Juniors on Saturday mornings at the age of eleven, and by the time he was 15, he was representing the club at Under-18 level. Robson played football whenever he possibly could but also worked as an electrician's apprentice for the National Coal Board
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
in the Langley Park colliery. In May 1950, Bill Dodgin
Bill Dodgin, Sr.
William "Bill" Dodgin was an English football player.Born in Gateshead, Dodgin played for Huddersfield Town, Lincoln City, Charlton Athletic, Bristol Rovers, Clapton Orient and Southampton, although his career was curtailed by the Second World War.After retiring as a player, he became coach and...
, the Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
manager made a personal visit to the Robson household to offer Bobby a professional contract. Despite being offered a contract by nearby Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, the offer made by Dodgin was too attractive to turn down, so he signed for Fulham and moved to London, playing as a wing-half and inside-forward. Robson had also interested his beloved Newcastle, but he opted to join Fulham as, in his opinion, "Newcastle made no appreciable effort to secure [my] signature".
Club playing career
Although Robson had signed professionally, his father insisted he continue to work as an electrician. He spent the day working at the Festival of BritainFestival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
site and trained three nights a week at Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. Eventually this took its toll on Robson and he gave up his trade for full-time football.
Robson made his debut in 1950 for Fulham, recently promoted to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, in a match against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. He came to regard Fulham as "a nice club, a social club..." but "never...a serious, championship-challenging club". Indeed, he and Fulham were relegated from the top-flight in the 1951–52
1951-52 in English football
The 1951–52 season was the 72nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
season, but he made his return to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, four years later, when he signed for Vic Buckingham
Vic Buckingham
Victor Frederick Buckingham was an English footballer whose approach as a manager was a precursor of the Total Football philosophy....
's West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in March 1956. The transfer fee of £25,000 was a club record for Albion at the time.
He made his Albion debut in a 4–0 home defeat by Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 10 March 1956. In 1957–58
1957-58 in English football
The 1957–58 season was the 78th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:In this season, Sunderland was relegated for the first time in their history.This was the last season in which Division 3 was split, North and South...
he was the club's top league goalscorer; his tally of 24 goals included four in a 5–1 win against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. He went on to play 257 games and score 61 goals for West Bromwich Albion and captained the team for the 1960–61
1960-61 in English football
The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions...
and 1961–62
1961-62 in English football
The 1961–62 season was the 82nd season of competitive Football in England.-Overview:The season was notable for the remarkable achievement of Ipswich Town winning the League Championship. Under the managership of Alf Ramsey, the club progressed from the old Third Division South to the First Division...
seasons. In August 1962, however, he returned to Fulham after a disagreement with Albion vice-chairman Jim Gaunt over his salary. The on-going dispute over both minimum and maximum wages in the game, instigated by Robson's team-mate Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
and the Professional Footballers' Association
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
, combined with the birth of Robson's second son, prompted Robson to demand a higher salary. Gaunt refused to negotiate Robson's contract, so Robson placed a transfer request and was sold to Fulham for £20,000 in a deal which doubled his salary. Soon after Robson joined Fulham, the club sold Alan Mullery
Alan Mullery
Alan Patrick Mullery MBE is a former English football player and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham and in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with several different clubs. He is now employed as a television pundit...
and Rodney Marsh
Rodney Marsh (footballer)
Rodney William Marsh is an English retired footballer. He was named after HMS Rodney by his father, who served on the battleship. He played for Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the England national team. Lately, he has been a pundit and a commentator on the...
, meaning Robson's chances of securing any significant honour there were substantially reduced. Robson himself stated "In all my time as a footballer, I didn't win a thing."
Despite press reports of interest from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, and the offer of a player-manager role by Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
, Robson left Fulham in 1967 and accepted a three-year deal with Canada's Vancouver Royals
Vancouver Royals
Vancouver Royal Canadians were an association football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada that played in the United Soccer Association. The league was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The Vancouver club was actually Sunderland A.F.C...
. He was to be player-manager in their inaugural 1968 season in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and believed it "...was a chance too good to miss". The position proved difficult; a long-distance joint-ownership agreement gave the Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
control over the San Francisco section of the squad, while Robson took care of the Vancouver squad. Robson was dissatisfied by this situation and when, in January 1968, Fulham offered him a contract as their manager, he accepted the position at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
.
International playing career
During his first spell at Fulham, Robson participated in two ambassadorial Football Association tours in the West IndiesCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in 1955 and South Africa in 1956. However, it was during his time at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
that he graduated to the full England squad, with his first call-up in 1956. His manager, Vic Buckingham, advocated the "push and run
Push and run
Push-and-run, also known as a one-two, a wall pass or a give-and-go, is a tactic often used in association football. It was devised and developed by Arthur Rowe, who was the manager of English football club Tottenham Hotspur from 1949....
" approach to the game, a precursor to "total football
Total Football
"Total Football" is the label given to an influential tactical theory of association football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was pioneered by Dutch football club Ajax from 1969 to 1973, and further used by the Netherlands National Football...
", and playing this, Robson graduated to the full England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
squad in 1956, It was also at West Bromwich Albion that Robson met future England international and assistant coach Don Howe.
He went on to make 20 appearances for the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, making his debut in a November 1957 victory against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory. Although he made a successful debut, he was dropped for England's next game against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, in favour of Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
. He was, however, selected for the 1958 World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
squad, ahead of Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse
Nathaniel "Nat" Lofthouse, OBE was an English professional footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers for his whole career...
and Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
but returned from Sweden disappointed, as England were defeated by the Soviet Union
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
in a group play-off match.
Following the 1958 World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
, Robson became an established member of the England squad, enjoying considerable success in a period between October 1960 and March 1961 when he played in six England victories, including scoring a goal in the record 9–3 defeat of Scotland at Wembley Stadium. He was selected for the 1962 World Cup finals
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
in Chile but an injury to his ankle sustained in a pre-tournament friendly against a Chilean club side ruled him out of most of the tournament. As Robson recalled, "I never played for England again...my international career was unfulfilled".
Career statistics
|-|1950–51
|rowspan="6"|Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
|rowspan="2"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
|1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||1||0
|-
|1951–52
|16||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||16||3
|-
|1952–53
|rowspan="4"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
|35||19||1||0||colspan="2"|–||36||19
|-
|1953–54
|33||13||1||1||colspan="2"|–||34||14
|-
|1954–55
|42||23||1||0||colspan="2"|–||43||23
|-
|1955–56
|25||10||2||0||colspan="2"|–||27||10
|-
|1955–56
|rowspan="7"|West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
|rowspan="12"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
|10||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||10||1
|-
|1956–57
|39||12||2||1||colspan="2"|–||41||13
|-
|1957–58
|41||24||7||3||colspan="2"|–||48||27
|-
|1958–59
|29||4||1||1||colspan="2"|–||30||5
|-
|1959–60
|41||6||3||0||colspan="2"|–||44||6
|-
|1960–61
|40||5||1||0||colspan="2"|–||41||5
|-
|1961–62
|39||4||4||0||colspan="2"|–||43||4
|-
|1962–63
|rowspan="5"|Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
|34||1||2||1||2||0||38||2
|-
|1963–64
|39||1||2||0||1||0||42||1
|-
|1964–65
|42||1||2||0||3||1||47||2
|-
|1965–66
|36||6||colspan="2"|–||3||0||39||6
|-
|1966–67
|41||0||3||0||3||0||47||0
|-
|-
|1967
United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
|rowspan="2"|Vancouver Royals
Vancouver Royals
Vancouver Royal Canadians were an association football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada that played in the United Soccer Association. The league was made up of teams imported from foreign leagues. The Vancouver club was actually Sunderland A.F.C...
|rowspan="2"|North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
|colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–
|-
|1968
|colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–
|-
583||133||32||7||12||1||627||141
583||133||32||7||12||1||627||141
|-
|1957||1||2
|-
|1958||4||0
|-
|1959||0||0
|-
|1960||6||0
|-
|1961||8||2
|-
|1962||1||0
|-
!Total||20||4
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 27 November 1957 Wembley Stadium, London 2–0 4–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...2. 27 November 1957 Wembley Stadium, London 4–0 4–0 Friendly 3. 15 April 1961 Wembley Stadium, London 1–0 9–3 1961 British Home Championship 1961 British Home ChampionshipThe 1961 British Home Championship international football tournament saw a series of high scoring games, with 40 goals scored in just six matches - a ratio of 6.66 goals per game. England took the British title after a final match at Wembley in which they put nine goals past Scotland, who returned...4. 10 May 1961 Wembley Stadium, London 3–0 8–0 Friendly
Early club management
In 1959, the then England manager and the Football AssociationThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
director of coaching Walter Winterbottom suggested to Robson that he take a coaching course at Lilleshall
Lilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located near Lilleshall in Shropshire, England. It was founded as an Augustinian Abbey in the 12th century, with its estate running to some...
. Robson made his debut as a manager in January 1968 at his former club Fulham, against Macclesfield Town, then in the Cheshire League, in the third round of the FA Cup. Fulham were struggling with 16 points from 24 games. Despite the acquisition of the young Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...
, Robson could not save the club from relegation to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, and he left them in November, with the club sitting eighth in the Second Division. He discovered that he had been sacked, not from the club itself, but from the headline "Robson sacked" on an Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
placard outside Putney station.
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
in 1969 and it was there that he established his reputation as a successful manager. He won the vacant job at the Suffolk club after a chance encounter with Town director Murray Sangster while scouting at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
manager Dave Sexton
Dave Sexton
David "Dave" Sexton OBE is an English former football manager and player.-Playing career:Son of former professional boxer Archie Sexton, he started his playing career with West Ham United in 1948. Playing mainly at inside-forward, he would finish his career with time at Luton Town, Leyton Orient,...
. After four mediocre seasons, Robson led Ipswich to fourth place in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and success in the Texaco Cup
Texaco Cup
The Texaco Cup was an association football competition involving clubs from England, Ireland and Scotland that had not qualified for European competitions. Irish clubs withdrew from the competition after 1971-72 due to political pressure, and in 1973-74 and 1974-75 competed in a separate Texaco Cup...
in the 1972–73
1972-73 in English football
The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League announced that a three-up, three-down system would operate between the top two divisions from the following season, rather than the traditional two-up, two-down system...
season. In the following nine seasons, Ipswich finished lower than sixth place in the First Division only once, in the 1977–78
1977-78 in English football
The 1977–1978 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England, from August 1977 to May 1978:-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
season. However, that season was a success with a 1–0 victory over Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the FA Cup Final. His reign at Ipswich lasted 13 years, during which time the club twice finished as League runners-up, and made regular appearances in European competitions, capturing the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 1981 with a 5–4 aggregate
Two-legged match
In sport , a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs...
victory over Dutch side AZ 67 Alkmaar. During his thirteen year tenure, he brought in only 14 players from other clubs, relying instead on players developed through Ipswich's youth programmes.
In 2002, in recognition of his achievements with the club, a life-size statue of Robson was unveiled opposite the Cobbold Stand of Ipswich Town's ground Portman Road. On 7 July 2006, Robson was named as honorary president of Ipswich Town Football Club, the first since Lady Blanche Cobbold who had died in 1987.
England manager
Robson's achievements with Ipswich earned him a job offer from the Football Association for the position of national coach, and he declined an offer of a ten-year contract extension from Ipswich director Patrick Cobbold. On 7 July 1982, two days after England were knocked out of the 1982 World Cup1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, he succeeded Ron Greenwood as coach of the English national football team, selecting former West Bromwich Albion team-mate Don Howe as his chief coach.
Robson's first game in charge saw immediate controversy, as he dropped Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
for the match against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
. On 21 September 1983, Robson suffered his only loss in the 28 qualifying matches he was to undertake as England manager. The defeat, once again to Denmark, ultimately led to England's failure to qualify for the 1984 European Championships, and resulted in Robson offering to resign in favour of Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
. The resignation was rejected by the FA chairman, Bert Millichip
Bert Millichip
Sir Frederick Albert Millichip was an English association footballer best known for his sometimes controversial contributions to the administration of the game....
(primarily down to his and the FA's disdain for Clough), and Robson went on to lead the England team to qualify for the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
in Mexico.
England began the competition poorly and captain Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
was injured with a recurrence of a dislocated shoulder. Bobby Robson changed the team's tactics for the final match of the first round, selecting Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
ahead of Mark Hateley
Mark Hateley
Mark Wayne Hateley is a retired English football player who played as a centre-forward. He was capped 32 times for the English national team , and played in top-level football leagues in England, Italy, France and Scotland...
as a striking partner for Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
. The team won its next two matches, against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
and Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
, 3–0 and qualified for the quarter-finals. England were defeated in the last eight by Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
with a brace of goals from Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
; the infamous "Hand of God" goal, and the "Goal of the Century" he scored five minutes later. Robson was unimpressed by Maradona's claim of divine intervention:
Robson's England dropped only one point in qualifying for Euro 1988 which included an 8–0 defeat of Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
. However this was followed by failure at the tournament itself, held in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, where England were knocked out in the group stage. They finished bottom of their qualifying group, succumbing to defeats against Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, Holland and the USSR
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
. Robson was vilified by the British press, and after a draw in a friendly with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
, one newspaper demanded: "In the name of Allah, go". Once again Robson submitted his resignation, and once again it was rejected by Millichip (again Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
is often cited as a reason).
Robson led England without conceding a goal through the six-match qualification for the 1990 World Cup where they were one of six seeded teams. Once again they were placed in a group with Holland and Ireland, with Egypt the fourth side. As in the 1986 World Cup, Robson was denied the service of his captain, Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
, who suffered an achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury which prevented him playing in the latter stages of the tournament. England topped their qualifying group, accumulating four points from their three games. However their progress was not without controversy. England changed formation from their traditional 4–4–2 to incorporate a sweeper, with some sources suggesting this was due to player revolt after the 1–1 draw in the first match with the Republic of Ireland. Robson denies this claim: This was followed by victories over Belgium and Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in the knock-out stages, to set up a semi-final with West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. England lost the match on a penalty shoot-out
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
, after the score had been tied at 1–1 following extra time. Robson said afterwards that "not a day goes by when [he] does not think about the semi-final and other choices [he] might have made".
Continental management
Before the 1990 World Cup, the FA told Robson that they would not renew his contract as England manager, so he moved on to the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to coach PSV of Eindhoven, who sought a manager capable of instilling discipline into a fractious squad. Robson described the move as "a culture shock" but felt "...a sense of adventure." The Dutch penchant for tactical debate surprised Robson. In an interview with Voetbal International he lamented: "An English pro accepts the manager's decision. After every match here, the substitutes come and visit me." Another of his challenges at PSV was handling the Brazilian international
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
Romário
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria , better known simply as Romário , is a former footballer who played striker,manager and current politician where is currently running for a mayor like position in his hometown...
. Robson became frustrated with the Brazilian's work ethic, although admitted "...in some matches he would be scintillating." Robson arranged showdown talks with Romário, with Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen is a former Danish football player and currently sporting director at Hamburger SV. Arnesen was Director of Football at English football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea....
, Robson's assistant, acting as a translator. The talks proved unsuccessful, with Romário unwilling to change his lifestyle. Despite this, PSV won the Dutch league in both the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. However, the team did not make the progress expected by the board in European competitions and Robson was informed that he would be leaving the club at the end of the 1991–92 season.
Robson moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal in July 1992, where his Portuguese interpreter was a young José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, future Porto, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
and Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
manager. Robson guided the club to a third place finish in his first season in charge while admitting the club was in "...a terrible state". He described the club's president as a "loose cannon", who frequently signed players without Robson's consent. Robson was sacked in December 1993 with the club sitting at the top of the league table. The club President, Sousa Cintra, cited the club's early exit from the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
at the hands of Casino Salzburg as the reason for his dismissal.
Sporting's rivals, F.C. Porto, quickly hired Robson, with Mourinho appointed as his assistant manager. Living in the same apartment block at the time was another future Porto and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
manager, the young André Villas-Boas, who, aged 16, introduced himself to Robson. Robson subsequently appointed Villas-Boas to work in the Porto observation department and helped him gain his UEFA 'C' coaching badge in Scotland, despite him technically being ineligible as he was aged 17. Porto were in a poor state when Robson arrived and the average attendance had dwindled to 10,000. The club promptly went on to beat Robson's former club, Sporting, in the Portuguese Cup final, following that achievement with successive League
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
titles in the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.
Such was the impact of Robson at Porto, he became known to the locals as "Bobby Five-O" in honour of the number of matches Porto won 5–0, and he signed a new contract with the club in 1995. Suffering from malignant melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
and missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season, Robson still successfully led Porto in defence of their league title.
A phone call during the summer of 1996 from Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
's vice-president Joan Gaspart
Joan Gaspart
Joan Gaspart i Solves is a Spanish businessman and a former FC Barcelona president between July 2000 and February 2003. He was born in Barcelona. He is known as one of the best vice presidents of the club but one of the worst presidents...
to discuss Luís Figo
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
resulted in an offer of employment with the Spanish club. Robson took over in July 1996, where once again his assistant was Mourinho; Robson had made Mourinho's move with him to the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
a condition of his employment. One of the key decisions Robson made during his brief tenure at Barcelona was the US$19.5 million signing of Ronaldo, who was influential in a season when Barcelona won the Spanish Cup
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
, Spanish Super Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup. Robson himself was voted European Manager of the Year for 1996–97, while Ronaldo stated, "as a trainer without doubt [Robson] is one of the greatest in the world".
The 1997–98 season saw Robson moved "upstairs" to the position of General Manager by Barcelona, with Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
taking over the managerial reins, but he stayed in this position for only one season before returning to manage PSV on a short-term deal for the 1998–99
1998-99 in Dutch football
The 1998/1999 season in Dutch football was the 43rd season in the Eredivisie, where Feyenoord Rotterdam claimed the title, for the first time since 1993...
season. PSV missed out on the league title, finishing third behind Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
and Willem II
Willem II Tilburg
Willem II , also known as Willem II Tilburg, is a football club based in Tilburg, North Brabant, Netherlands. The team was founded on 12 August 1896 as Tilburgia...
, but Robson still led the club to qualification for the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
on the last day of the season.
Return to England
After Robson's contract expired, he returned to England to take up a position in the Football Association's technical department, but following the resignation of Ruud GullitRuud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
at Newcastle United, Robson moved to St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
in September 1999. Robson was disappointed with the club's opening salary offer, stating "...it was miles below the going rate", but negotiated a one year, £1 million deal.
In his first home match in charge, Newcastle (at the bottom of the league) faced second bottom Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, thrashing them 8–0. In his first season in charge, 1999–2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
, Robson led the club to an 11th place finish, with 14 wins from his 32 games in charge. In late 2000, following the resignation of Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
as England manager, the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
asked Newcastle Chairman Freddy Shepherd
Freddy Shepherd
Freddy Shepherd , is an English businessman and the former chairman of Newcastle United football club.During his time at Newcastle, both as an active assistant to and later replacement of Sir John Hall as chairman for ten years, Shepherd proved an often outspoken and controversial figure, at times...
to permit Robson to take over in a part-time caretaker
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
capacity but the request was refused. Robson guided Newcastle from bottom of the Premier League to a fourth-place finish in the 2001–02
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
season. The following season, Newcastle finished third, ensuring qualification for the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the second consecutive year.
Despite the qualification of third place however, Robson was unable to guide Newcastle through the Champions League qualifying rounds and the club was pushed back into the UEFA Cup for the 2003–04 season. At the end of the 2003–04 season, Newcastle United finished fifth in the table, five points short of the Champions League qualifying fourth place but reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup before losing to Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
.
He held the Newcastle post until 30 August 2004, when he was dismissed by Freddy Shepherd, after a poor start to the Premier League season and alleged discontent in the dressing room. Robson's dismissal followed publication of his off the record observation of his disappointment that only 5,000 fans stayed to see the traditional lap of honour made by the players at St James' Park at the end of the previous season. However, he remains held in the highest esteem by the fans; he was granted the Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Newcastle upon Tyne on 2 March 2005.
His autobiography, entitled Bobby Robson: Farewell but not Goodbye was released in 2005.
The title is based on one of his quotes upon leaving the England job in 1990: "I'm here to say goodbye—maybe not goodbye but farewell". In the book, Robson was critical of Shepherd, claiming that while manager he was denied information regarding the players' contracts and transfer negotiations. He also criticised Shepherd and the club's deputy chairman Douglas Hall, for their focus on the first team and St James' Park, causing them to neglect less glamorous issues, such as the training ground, youth development and talent scouts. The club's training ground was later blamed by Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
, Robson's successor, for a series of injuries to first team players.
Football consultant
On 7 June 2005 he declined the invitation to become Director of Football of Heart of MidlothianHeart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
because he wanted to stay in the Newcastle area. On 13 January 2006, Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...
was appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland national team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, with Robson named in a support role as International Football Consultant. Robson stepped down from his role of consultant on 17 November 2007, after the Republic's final match in their unsuccessful qualifying campaign for Euro 2008. Robson was a former Vice President of the League Managers Association
League Managers Association
The League Managers Association is the organisation which collectively represents all Premiership and Football League managers in English football...
, a non-executive role.
Personal life
Robson was married to Elsie from June 1955 until his death; they have three sons: Andrew, Paul and Mark, all of whom survived him.Since 1991, Robson was repeatedly diagnosed as suffering from cancer. He had several operations and, in 2006, was operated on for on a brain tumour. This, on occasion, impacted on his work; while at Porto for example, Robson suffered from malignant melanoma, which resulted in him missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season. Following the brain surgery, Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News is a 24-hour sports news channel in the United Kingdom. It is run by BSkyB whose sports channels include Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as Sky Sports HD1, HD2, HD3 and HD4....
reported that Robson had had an adverse reaction that had caused slight swelling of the brain, which had in turn caused the loss of feeling in his left side.
On 17 October 2006, it was revealed that Robson had been given the all-clear and was set to see out his contract as consultant to the Irish team. Robson revealed on 6 May 2007 that he had been diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time. On Saturday 17 May 2008, Sir Bobby was the guest of honour at the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
when Portsmouth beat Cardiff City 1–0. He presented the trophy to the victorious captain, Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
.
Other activities
Robson made a number of product endorsements, including an appearance in Carlsberg's "Best Pub Side" television commercialTelevision advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
. He also acted as a pundit for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
during the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and the 2004 European Championship. In 2004, following the death of Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, Robson briefly stood in for Clough as a columnist at FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo is a football magazine published by Haymarket. Published monthly, costing £4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011...
magazine, and from 2004 onwards wrote a weekly column for The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
.
Bobby Robson Foundation
Robson defeated bowel cancer in 1992, a malignant melanoma in 1995, and a tumour in his right lung and a brain tumour, both in 2006. Treatment of these conditions had left him partially paralysed due to a stroke caused by the brain tumour, and also with a partially prosthetic upper jaw after the melanoma was surgically removed. His fifth diagnosis of cancer in 2007, consisting of cancerous nodules in both lungs, was diagnosed as terminalTerminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
in February 2007, and as of December 2008 was being controlled through bouts of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. After these experiences, and following his fifth diagnosis with cancer, Robson devoted the remaining years of his life to helping fight the disease. On 25 March 2008 he launched the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a British cancer research charity which raises money to fund the early detection and treatment of cancer, and clinical trials of anti-cancer drugs...
. By November 2008 the Foundation had raised £1 million. The money raised by the Foundation funded equipment for the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, in the Freeman Hospital
Freeman Hospital
The Freeman Hospital is an 800-bed tertiary referral centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.The hospital is managed by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is a teaching hospital for the University of Newcastle upon Tyne...
in Newcastle upon Tyne, and would go on to fund other cancer projects in the North East of England.
In aid of the Foundation, Robson's 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
semi-final 4–3 loss after penalties against West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, was replayed on 26 July 2009 as the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match
Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match
The Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match was a charity football match played in honour of the former England and Newcastle United manager, Sir Bobby Robson, and in aid of his cancer charity, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. Produced under license by as it was played at St James' Park in Newcastle upon...
at St James' Park, featuring players from the original 1990 World Cup squads
1990 FIFA World Cup squads
This article lists the national football squads for the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament held in Italy, between 8 June and 8 July 1990. Each country's final squad consisted of 22 players and had to be confirmed by 29 May....
and other special guests. Robson was given a guard of honour before the game, which finished 3–2 to the England side.
At the time of his death, the Foundation had raised £1.6m. Donations totalling £156,000 were received by the Foundation in the 18 days following his death, and on 15 October 2009, it was announced that the Foundation had raised over £2m, and that at the request of Robson's family, Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
would take over Robson's role as the Foundation's patron. It passed the £2.5m mark in September 2010. Three other patrons were added in 2010, Steve Gibson, Mick Mills
Mick Mills
Michael 'Mick' Denis Mills is an English former football full-back who, by the end of his career, had achieved Ipswich Town's record number of appearances and captained England at the 1982 World Cup.-Club career:...
and Niall Quinn
Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn honorary MBE is a former Irish international footballer, and the ex-chairman of Sunderland AFC. He still works at the club as an overseas manager. He is also heavily involved in the management side of horse racing...
.
Death
On 31 July 2009, Robson died of lung cancer at his home in County Durham, aged 76, after a long battle with the disease. After the news of his death, leading figures from the world of football and politics paid tribute to him. Manchester United manager Sir Alex FergusonAlex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
called him a "great friend, a wonderful individual and tremendous football man." UEFA president Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
said: "He will be remembered not only for his playing career and his outstanding managerial career at both club and international level, but also because he was a truly warm and passionate human being." Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
said: "It is a sad day and a great loss. He was a wonderful man and will be deeply missed by everybody in the country. I never played for a more enthusiastic man. He gave so much to the game." Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, described Sir Bobby as a "real Geordie gentleman." According to the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, Robson "epitomised everything that is great about football in this country." His friend, the broadcaster Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
, said: "Robson will be remembered long after the present lot are old bones. By his decency, his humour, his love of the game's traditions and origins and confusion at what it had become, he made present day football look what it is – shabby by comparison. I can think of no more fitting epitaph."
Robson's funeral, a private family ceremony, took place on 5 August 2009. The location remained undisclosed at the request of his family until the funeral had taken place. It was later revealed to be Esh, County Durham
Esh, County Durham
Esh is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is situated about five miles to the west of Durham.Esh Village or Old Esh as it is sometimes known dates from Anglo-Saxon times. Esh is an Anglo-Saxon name meaning Ash Tree and the spelling reflects the old Northumbrian dialect.In the...
. A thanksgiving service for Robson was held on 21 September 2009 at Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
. One thousand invited guests attended the service, which was also broadcast live on national television, and to Newcastle United's St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
, Ipswich Town's Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
ground, and Fulham's Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
.
Honours
Bobby Robson was awarded a number of honours for his contributions to football. In 1990, at the end of his eight-year reign as England manager, he was awarded a CBECBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
and in 2002, he was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
; both awards were for services to football.
In 2002 (during his time as Newcastle manager), the 69-year-old Robson was awarded the freedom
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and the UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
President's Award for 'services to football'. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2003 in recognition of his impact as a manager. Following his time as Newcastle United manager in 2005, Robson was made an Honorary Freeman of Newcastle, which, in his autobiography, he described as being "the proudest moment of my life". Robson also won the 1992 Football Writers' Association Tribute Award for an outstanding contribution to the national game, and the 2001 British Sports Writers' Association Pat Besford Trophy for Outstanding Achievement. In 2005 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Sports Coach UK Awards, and was also awarded the Eircom International Personality of the Year in 2006. On 9 December 2007, Robson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given to a sportsperson "who has made a major impact on the world of sport during their lifetime". The winner is...
at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
show in recognition of "his contribution as both player and manager in a career spanning more than half a century".
On 5 May 2008, during the 30th anniversary celebrations of Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
's 1978 FA Cup win, Robson was granted the Freedom of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
by the Lady Mayor. On 8 December 2008, he earned another such accolade when he was given the Freedom of the City of Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. In March 2009, UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
awarded Robson the Emerald UEFA Order of Merit award, awarded to "individuals who have dedicated their talents to the good of the game". The award was presented to Sir Bobby at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
on 26 July 2009, prior to the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match
Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match
The Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match was a charity football match played in honour of the former England and Newcastle United manager, Sir Bobby Robson, and in aid of his cancer charity, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. Produced under license by as it was played at St James' Park in Newcastle upon...
, and just five days before his death.
Posthumous honours
In December 2009 Robson was posthumously awarded the FIFA Fair Play AwardFIFA Fair Play Award
The FIFA Fair Play Award is a FIFA recognition of good or sporting behaviour or other actions by people or bodies involved in :association football around the world. First awarded in 1987, it has been presented to individuals , teams, fans, spectators, football associations/federations and even...
, for the "gentlemanly qualities he showed throughout his career as a player and coach".
The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
gave Newcastle United and Ipswich Town special dispensation to wear special commemorative kits for their Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
match on 26 September 2009 at Portman Road, in aid of Sir Bobby's Foundation. At half-time during this match, the North Stand of Portman Road was renamed the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.
The first anniversary of Robson's death on 31 July 2010 was marked with a ceremony and pre-season friendly match at Newcastle's St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
, between two of his former clubs Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven, involving Robson's PSV captain Stan Valckx
Stan Valckx
Stanislaus "Stan" Henricus Christina Valckx is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a central defender.-Club career:...
presenting a PSV shirt to the club.
In July 2010 plans were unveiled for a memorial garden to Robson to be built in Newcastle. It was to be created by the city council in partnership with the regeneration company NE1Ltd, and located on Gallowgate street close to the Newcastle United stadium St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
. Work began on the site in November 2010, with an expected completion of Spring 2011. The garden is to cover 400 square meters, and feature a tiered seating area and sculpted stone plinths reflecting aspects of his life and work. The area is also to host a 400 square metre memorial garden to Sir Bobby Robson, with work beginning in November 2010, to be opened in Spring 2011.
With a keen interest in cricket as well as football, Robson was to have replaced Mike Gatting
Mike Gatting
Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988...
as President of the Lord's Taverners
Lord's Taverners
The Lord’s Taverners is a thriving club, the official charity for recreational cricket and the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity whose objective is to 'give young people, particularly those with special needs, a sporting chance'.The Lord’s Taverners was founded in 1950 by a...
charity and cricket club in 2007, but this was prevented by his ill-health. After his death, the club held a dinner in his honour, as the "The best President we never had".
In March 2011, the East Coast train operating company
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
named
Nameplate
A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Name plates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone’s name...
one of its Class 91
British Rail Class 91
The British Rail Class 91 is a class of , electric locomotives ordered as a component of the East Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s. The Class 91s were given the auxiliary name of InterCity 225 to indicate their envisaged top speed of...
electric locomotives Sir Bobby Robson, unveiled at Newcastle Central Station
Newcastle Central station
Newcastle railway station , is the mainline station of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line. It opened in 1850 and is a Grade I listed building...
by his widow Elsie and Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
.
Performance by club
| eam | at | rom | o | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
 |
January 1968 | November 1968 |
|||||
| Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... |
|
January 1969 | August 1982 |
|||||
| England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
|
1982 | 1990 |
|||||
| PSV Eindhoven |  |
1990 | 1992 |
|||||
| Sporting Lisbon |  |
1992 | 1994 |
|||||
| Porto | |
1994 | 1996 |
|||||
| Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
 |
1996 | 1997 |
|||||
| PSV Eindhoven | |
1998 | 1999 |
|||||
| Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
|
September 1999 | August 2004 |
|||||
| Total |
||||||||
Managerial honours
| Honour | Team | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Texaco Cup Texaco Cup The Texaco Cup was an association football competition involving clubs from England, Ireland and Scotland that had not qualified for European competitions. Irish clubs withdrew from the competition after 1971-72 due to political pressure, and in 1973-74 and 1974-75 competed in a separate Texaco Cup... |
Ipswich Town | 1973 |
| FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
1978 | |
| UEFA Cup | 1981 | |
| Rous Cup Rous Cup The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the second half of the 1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America.-Overview:... |
England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
1986 Rous Cup The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the second half of the 1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America.-Overview:... , 1988 Rous Cup The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the second half of the 1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America.-Overview:... , 1989 Rous Cup The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the second half of the 1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America.-Overview:... |
| Dutch Championship Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
PSV Eindhoven | 1991 Eredivisie 1990-91 The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1990/1991 season was contested by 18 teams. PSV won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 SVV would remain in the eredivisie after winning the promotion/relegation play-offs... , 1992 Eredivisie 1991-92 The 1991-92 season of the Dutch Eredivisie was contested by 18 teams. PSV won the title.-League standings:-Promotion/relegation:The number 16 of the Eredivisie would play against relegation against the runners-up of the promotion/relegation play-offs of the Eerste Divisie... |
| Cup of Portugal Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is... |
Porto | 1994 |
| Portuguese Championship | 1995 Portuguese Liga 1994-95 -Overview:The league was contested by 18 teams, and F.C. Porto won the championship.-League standings:... , 1996 Portuguese Liga 1995-96 -Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and F.C. Porto won the championship.-League standings:... |
|
| Spanish Super Cup Supercopa de España The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey... |
Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
1996 1996 Supercopa de España The 1996 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 25 August and 28 August 1996. It contested by FC Barcelona, who were Spanish Cup runners-up in 1995–96, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 1995–96 Spanish League and the 1995–96 Spanish Cup. FC Barcelona won 6–5 on... |
| Copa del Rey Copa del Rey The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol .... |
1997 1996–97 Copa del Rey -External links:*... |
|
| European Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but... |
1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1996-97 The season 1996-97 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by FC Barcelona after beating holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It was the last of four occasions that the Catalan club won the tournament.-Qualifying round:-First leg:... |